Moms

ATLANTA -- This month, millions of kids begin their summer breaks, looking forward to vacations, pool time and carefree days. But studies and experience show a lack of mental stimulation causes them to unlearn much of what they were taught over the school year. Boys & Girls Clubs across the country offer young people a safe, exciting place to spend their summer months, with staff and resources to fight the effects of this “Summer Brain Drain.”

The reality for today’s kids is that many will find themselves with few structured activities, caregivers who are working all day, and too much unsupervised television, video game and computer time.

President Touts Concerns Over Summer Learning

Also known as “summer learning loss” or the “summer slide,” this issue is a growing problem for American children. In 2010, President Obama noted, “Students are losing a lot of what they learn during the school year during the summer.”

May is National Bike Month, a celebration of cyclists and the pastime they enjoy. Whether you ride a bicycle to work or school, or for exercise, National Bike Month is a great reminder of how to stay safe while biking on the road.

According to the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, in Georgia, as in most states, the bicycle is legally a vehicle, meaning that general traffic laws apply to cyclists. And because bikes share the road with cars and trucks, accidents can happen.

Sean Sue, M.D., an Emergency Medicine physician at Piedmont Hospital, says the most important safety tip for a cyclist is to always wear a helmet. “Head injuries account for two thirds of all bicycle-related deaths,” he says. “Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by more than 85 percent.”

Chanda Bell knows, and now she's sharing her knowledge in a presentation at her alma mater -- the University of West Georgia.

Bell is the bestselling author of the children's holiday book "The Elf on the Shelf," which follows one of the North Pole's many "scout elves" who help Santa determine which names to put on his naughty and nice lists. Named Chippy by his adoptive family, our elf friend is assigned to help a little boy named Taylor McTuttle believe in the magic of Christmas.

"The Elf on the Shelf" was co-written by Bell's mother, Carol Aebersold, and sister, Christa Pitts, who is also a UWG alumna. They self-published the book, which is based on a family tradition featuring Fisbee, a pixie elf who appears in the Aebersold home every holiday season.

You can get into the Georgia Aquarium free on your birthday. I did this earlier this month on my birthday. My daughter also got in free since she is under 3. With everyone watching every dollar they spend this is an awesome free be. The only requirement is you have to be a Georgia resident and present your ID at the ticket window.

I want to tell you about a great high school band here in Temple, Ga. They are under the direction and leadership of Mr. Corey Newton.

Some may not even know where Temple, Ga. is located so let me tell you. We are a small town in West Ga. located about 10 miles from Carrollton, Ga. 7miles from Bremen, Ga. and 7 miles from Villa Rica, Ga. We recently made the news when Soldier Boy got arrested here. Last year we made the news when a terrible accident happened killing one of Temple High School's football players. About 2 years ago we made the news when Temple Middle school had some boys play fighting in the restroom and others vidoed it on their cell phones and sent it to another tv station. While bad things have happened here in Temple there are many good things happening as well.